"Until recently most microfinance research focused on whether access to finance is beneficial for economically poor entrepreneurs and families. The industry has now grown big and Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) serves hundreds of millions of customers. The business of microfinance is therefore becoming an important research area. While performance and efficiency studies are common in banking research such research on MFI performance is still in its infancy. MFI performance studies are challenging because they are hybrid organizations with dual objectives of serving low-income customers while being financially sustainable. This book contains a collection of new MFI performance research by top scholars from across the globe. A wide range of topics are covered including cash-flow analyses, cultural influence, mission-drift, the influence of public regulation and international actors, group lending, competition, ownership issues, earnings management as well as traditional efficiency studies. "--